This invention relates to a system for catching sawdust expelled by a chain saw and more particularly to a sawdust catcher for catching and containing the sawdust expelled from a chain saw during operation of the chain saw.
Chain saws historically were developed and used for cutting down trees in the forest. The chain carrying the wood-cutting teeth travels around a guide bar fitted to the body of the saw and in most applications the chain is exposed for the length of the guide bar. During a cutting operation, sawdust is discharged towards and below the bottom of the saw body from the rearward base of the cut and therefore onto the ground where it becomes part of the forest floor. In that application, there was no need to capture and contain the sawdust and neither the applicant nor attorney know of any examples of prior art that demonstrate a means for capturing and containing the sawdust produced by a conventional chain saw during a cutting operation.
Chain saws have now become popular as a yard tool for cutting trees and firewood in the suburban setting where production of a sawdust pile on the ground is not desirable. The applicant's invention solves the sawdust pile problem by providing for a sawdust catcher for a chain saw which passively catches and contains the sawdust produced by a chain saw during a cutting operation.
While other types of conventional wood-working tools with dust collection systems do exist, they are usually stationary tools with some sort of complicated vacuum apparatus for retrieving dust such as hoods enclosing the blades on radial arm saws or vacuum bases on a table saw. Some portable cutting tools with complicated dust collection systems have also been made.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,972 a vacuum operated dust collection system for a portable circular saw can be seen.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,192 demonstrates a sawdust blower attachment for a power saw.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,044 pertains to a dust disposal attachment for a rotary element of a power tool having an impeller encased in an impeller head channelled to a disc enclosing head.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,197 provides for a power saw convertible to a chain saw and having a housing member adapted to divert sawdust, said diversion necessitated by the conversion hardware.
None of the dust collection systems previously cited work as simply as the applicant's invention nor are they adaptable to a conventional chain saw and are only mentioned to further demonstrate the novelty and utility of the chain saw sawdust catcher invention.